Eight names, one night in Springfield
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame enshrined its Class of 2026 on Saturday night at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. Eight individuals went in, plus one full roster honored as a group. Amar’e Stoudemire led the billing.
Stoudemire spent 14 seasons in the NBA across Phoenix, New York, Dallas and Miami, made six All-Star teams and landed on five All-NBA teams. He grew up in poverty, and his speech went straight there rather than to the numbers.
“The most important factor for me was, first of all, stay out of trouble… stay positive, stay focused, stay meaningful, and always keep in mind that perseverance, no matter what one goes through, one can persevere through anything,” Stoudemire said.
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Rivers, D’Antoni and Crawford
Doc Rivers arrived with 1,194 wins over 27 seasons on the bench and a championship with Boston in 2008. Before the coaching career he played 13 years and averaged 10.9 points a game. The three men who delivered him that title, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, presented him.
“When you win a title, it’s like receiving a blood transfusion. You three guys are connected for the rest of your lives,” Rivers said.
Mike D’Antoni went in as a contributor for the offensive template that reshaped the league: 3-pointers, pick-and-roll, spacing. Joey Crawford went in with numbers no other official has matched, 374 playoff games and 50 Finals games worked. “As the great Muhammad Ali once said ‘it ain’t bragging if you did it’ and I did,” Crawford said.
Three WNBA greats and the 1996 team
Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and Candace Parker were enshrined on the same night. Delle Donne won two WNBA MVP awards and the 2019 title with Washington. Parker matched the two MVPs and added three championships. Holdsclaw, a three-time NCAA champion and six-time WNBA All-Star, used her time at the microphone to talk about mental health.
“Anyone carrying a weight that never shows up in the box score, I see you,” Holdsclaw said.
The 1996 United States women’s Olympic gold medal team was honored as a unit, with Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes among its members. Gonzaga’s Mark Few completed the class on the strength of 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, two national title games and Naismith Coach of the Year honors in 2017 and 2021.
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